Charles Lenox Mysteries 01 A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch

Author:Charles Finch
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2007-01-10T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Charles, Charles, Charles!” said Lady Jane, rushing to the door to meet him. “Oh, Kirk, call Lucy, won’t you?”

She took his hand and led him to the rose-colored sofa, where they sat, but she was in such a flurry of emotions that she stood up almost immediately and paced back and forth in front of the fire, though she would tell Lenox nothing.

It was near teatime, which had become, since the beginning of the case, a daily event for Lenox and Lady Jane. They had always managed to see each other several times a week in the afternoons—and inevitably more in the evenings, for they shared a similar society—but now, he knew, he had a daily mandate to come see her and discuss Prue Smith’s murder. He liked it, in a way. Often he took tea at home, as the quietest part of his day, but to be with his friend was no chore. He shouldn’t have been surprised, really, that she had become so invested in the matter; but in a way, nevertheless, he was.

The butler, so instructed, clambered heavily down the lower stairs, in his loud way, of which Graham so disapproved, and reappeared a moment later with the young maid Lenox had met once before, who had been Prue Smith’s nearest friend.

“Lucy, be kind enough to repeat for us what Kirk overheard you saying.”

“I’m sorry to be sure, ma’am.”

“Very well. Now let us hear it.”

“I only meant it as a bit of fun, ma’am, nothing serious,” she said uncomfortably.

Lady Jane stood up—she had been back upon the couch—and gazed imperiously, in the way Lenox always forgot she could, at the young girl.

“Lucy,” she said, “I demand that you tell us what you said now.”

“Yes, ma’am. I only said—leastwise, I only meant to say—as how Prue, she knew one of the nephews, the grand one, called Claude.”

Lenox said gently, “She knew him?”

“Well—knew him well, like, sir.”

“They had an affair, Lucy?”

Lady Jane sighed and walked toward the fire. Kirk coughed and Lucy stammered out an apology.

“It’s all right, Lucy,” said Lenox quietly. “It’s quite all right. When did this begin?”

“Last month, sir, when Mr. Claude came down to London. He’d nip into Prue’s bedroom, sir.”

“How often?”

“Often, like, sir.”

“What did she say about the matter?”

“Oh, it wasn’t serious, sir—she meant to marry Jem, sir, and keep Deck on the side, I guess, sir.”

Lady Jane grimaced, and Lenox stood up. “Shall we continue in the hallway?” he said to Kirk, who nodded.

But Jane said, “I’ll hear this,” with that strength of purpose Lenox knew so well and bade Lucy to continue.

“Well, I guess that’s all, m’lady,” said the girl.

“Was there anyone else?” asked Lenox. “I shall try just as hard to find out who killed her, Lucy, no matter what you tell me. She deserved to be killed just as little as the Archbishop of Canterbury does. But I have to know if there was anyone else.”

She shook her head with certainty. “No, sir. And even Prue knew it wasn’t right, about Mr.

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